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	<b>The 10 Steps In Buying a House</b> <br />
	In general, the steps for buying a home are: <br /><br />
	
	<b>1. Begin looking online.</b> <br />
	Use a real estate website to search within your desired area and price range. Determine your wish list of features and see what's available and affordable.
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	<b>2. Figure out how much you can afford. </b><br />
	What you can afford depends on your income, credit rating, debts, down payment amount, and the interest rate.
	You can use our affordability calculator to get a rough idea of what a mortgage company might lend to you.
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	<b>3. Begin saving as soon as possible.</b><br />
	You'll need to have enough money for your down payment, closing costs, moving expenses, utility hook-ups and other new home expenses.
	The best thing that you can do now is to reduce your current expenses to the bare minimum, and save, save, save!
	It may be tough at first, but later you'll be glad you did! This app can help you get there.
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	<b>4. Get pre-qualified or pre-approved.</b><br />
	Speak with a mortgage lender and find out exactly how much you'll be able to borrow and how much you'll need for a down payment and closing costs.
	You'll need this information before making an offer on a house. It's a good idea to shop around and compare mortgage rates and fees. 
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	<b>5. Go look at houses.</b><br />
	You can find listings of open houses on real estate websites. Open houses are usually held on Sundays, and you can just drop in and get a brief tour.
	To see more houses, contact a real estate agent to set up appointments to see houses that interest you.
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	<b>6. Make an offer.</b><br />
	Your real estate agent will guide you through the process of making an offer. The offer is a legal document that includes requirements from you.
	Be sure to understand the details.
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	<b>7. Get a home inspection.</b><br />
	If your offer is accepted, your real estate agent will usually help you arrange for a home inspection. This will determine if there are any 
	problems with the house that may need fixing. If there are, you can often negotiate with the seller to either make the repairs or reduce the selling 
	price to cover those costs.
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	<b>8. Complete the mortgage application. </b><br />
	You'll need to go through the full mortgage application process. If you've been pre-approved, you do not necessarily have to use the same mortgage lender, although that may be the easiest way to go. Be sure to compare rates and fees before locking in. You will be given an estimate of the amount of money you will need to have at settlement.
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	<b>9. Shop for homeowners insurance.</b><br />
	You may be able to save hundreds of dollars a year on homeowners' insurance by shopping around. Consider a higher deductible. Increasing your deductible by just a few hundred dollars can make a big difference in your premium.
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	<b>10. Close the deal at settlement.</b><br />
	A date, time and place will be set for “settlement” or “closing”, where you will go in person and sign all of the papers and pay the closing costs, which generally include your down payment, taxes, title insurance, attorney fees, homeowners insurance, processing/filing fees, etc. Congratulations! You now own a home!
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	<a href="http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/topics/buying_a_home">Learn more</a>
	
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